The present invention is directed toward a package for holding at least two materials. More particularly, the invention is directed toward a package for holding the materials and dispensing them when needed. Specifically, the invention is directed toward a package for holding at least two materials which can be mixed at the time of dispensing.
In certain arts, such as in the dental industry, it is often required to mix two materials prior to use. For example, it is sometimes necessary to mix a monomer with an initiator to prepare a polymeric adhesive, or the like. Especially in the dental industry, it is also desirable to provide only enough material for a given application because application of such materials in the oral cavity often include small amounts. It has been common practice to package a multitude of dental materials, dual component or not, as a single use or unit dose package.
With the unit doses employed in the dental industry, it is sometimes difficult to dispense the multiple components required to form a material, and mix them prior to use. Again, the small amounts employed make such mixing difficult. Further, it has been the practice that larger quantities of the individual components are stored separately and then mixed prior to use.
A need exists therefore, for a multi-component package, which not only separates the components during storage, but which also facilitates the mixing and dispensing of those materials.
A multi-component, mixing, storage and dispensing package, preferably a unit dose package, includes a housing having a mixing tip attached at one end thereof. The mixing tip has an outlet orifice and an input orifice fluidly connected by a mixing channel. The inlet orifice is in fluid communication with a housing mix channel which in turn is in fluid communication with a vent spike block. The vent spike block includes at least one spike having a vent or open channel therethrough. The housing further includes a displaceable cavity block having at least one cavity therein, and displaceable in a direction toward said vent spike block. In this manner, when the vent within the vent spike is caused to enter the cavity, material contained within the cavity is caused to travel through the vent toward the mix channel in the housing. From the mix channel in the housing, the material is then caused to travel through the mix channel in the dispensing end and out of the dispensing orifice outlet. More preferably, the vent spike block includes at least two spikes corresponding to at least two cavities in the cavity block. Further, each vent in the vent spikes is caused to fluidly communicate with the secondary mix channel in the housing. Mixing of the materials from the two cavities is thereby effected in the secondary mix channel and the mix channel of the dispensing tip.